Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival To Raise Funds For Autism Society Of Illinois
(CBS) -- The organizers of the annual Pumpkin Festival in Highwood have a new goal this year, reports WBBM's Regine Schlesinger.
"Our goal is to let everybody's inner light shine, when we light the jack-o-lanterns," says Highwood Alderman Eric Falberg who created the Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival five years ago.
In the past, Highwood has gone for a Guinness World Record for the most pumpkins carved into jack-o-lanterns at one time. The record has always eluded the northern suburb. So this year, Alderman Eric Falberg says the town is looking to do good instead. It's partnered with the Autism Society of Illinois to make the event a fundraiser to help those with autism. Highwood hopes to have 52,000 pumpkins, one for each of the Illinoisans diagnosed with the disorder.
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What won't change, he says, is the beauty of the festival.
"Normally, when you have one or two jack-o-lanterns on your front porch, it's very pretty. But, imagine, really over 30,000 of them, lit up at one time. It's really something you can't imagine unless you're there in person."
The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival which draws as many as 100,000 people to the suburb of 5,000 will take place from Friday, October 17 through Sunday the 19. You can find more information at highwoodpumpkinfest.com.
